Pavel Haas Quartet: Dvořák: Quintets (2x LP) - LP

Antonín Dvořák – Piano Quintet No. 2 in A major, Op. 81 (1887), String Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 97 (1893)

Pavel Haas Quartet (Veronika Jarůšková – 1st violin, Marek Zwiebel – 2nd violin, Radim Sedmidubský – viola, Peter Jarůšek – cello), Boris Giltburg – piano, Pavel Nikl – viola

Seven years after their triumph with Dvořák's quartets (SU4038-2, Op. 96 “American” and Op. 106 – Gramophone Award 2011 “Recording of the Year”), the Pavel Haas Quartet has made a triumphant return to Dvořák. For this recording of the quintets, they invited two guests: pianist Boris Giltburg (winner of the 2013 Queen Elisabeth Competition) and founding member of the PHQ, Pavel Nikl. Dvořák's second piano quintet was composed at his beloved summer residence, Vysoká, in late summer 1887. The renowned critic Eduard Hanslick enthusiastically received the Vienna performance of the work: “It is among his most beautiful works. It is the real Dvořák.” The String Quintet, Op. 97, although only 6 years younger, presents a completely “different Dvořák”. After the New World Symphony and the American Quartet, it is the composer's third piece written on the American continent. And Hanslick's endorsement?

“It is perhaps the simplest, most natural and most contented music composed since Haydn's time.” That the Pavel Haas Quartet is at home with Dvořák is confirmed by the recording's numerous awards (Diapason d'Or, BBC Music Magazine Recording of the Month), culminating in the ensemble's sixth (!) Gramophone Award. Now, vinyl lovers can also rejoice: 180g virgin vinyl, DMM cutting. There's really nothing more to add to that.